Mon.’s Devo - Praise the Lord!

Read: Lamentations 4:1-5:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Provers 26:23 The wealthy of Jerusalem didn’t prepare for their future. They enjoyed their wealth and sinful life-styles refusing to hear the warnings of the prophets. So they didn’t change their ways and it cost them everything. They were once healthy and satisfied, only to end up starving and killing their own children to stay alive themselves. They only lived for the moment. They could not see Jerusalem being taken in their wildest dreams. No one could except God’s prophets. They were guilty of shedding innocent blood and now their blood was required. They were scattered to other nations who despised them. No matter where they hid, their enemy found them. They had trusted in their king but he was not able to protect them. They had been reduced to slaves of their own sins. Every age was punished and shamed. Jeremiah cried out for God to remember them and restore them back to him. Hebrews reminds us that the angels were punished when they left heaven and came to hearth in Genesis 6 and took wives of the women on the earth. They were punished, so what makes us think we will escape punishment if the angels didn’t. Our sin would be ignoring the great salvation that God sent to us through Jesus. It is not angels that are going to rule the future world, but humans who were faithful to God in this life. Jesus went through the suffering he endured for the promise of glory to come. We have the same Father as Jesus. Jesus became a man to reconcile us from God and to break the power of death over us. Jesus became our High Priest making a sacrifice once and for all for us. His sacrifice was his own body to take away the sins of the whole earth. Our Psalm tells us that God forgives our sins, heals all our diseases, redeems us from death and crowns us with love and mercy. He fills our lives with good things and renews our youth. He gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. We have a very good God! Lord, we praise you for your love and tenderness towards us. Though we don’t deserve your love, you freely give it to us. Help us not to neglect or forget the price of our salvation. Give us opportunities to share this great news with others today.

Sun.’s Devo - Suffering

Read: Lamentations 3:1-66; Hebrews 1:1-14; Psalm 102; 1-28; Proverbs 26:21-22 Today we read the third elegy of Jeremiah’s. We could put Isaiah 53 right beside it and it would read similar. Jeremiah compares his personal suffering with the suffering of the whole nation and the future suffering of Christ. This elegy was also in the order of the Hebrew alphabet starting with Aleph and ending in Tau. Even in his affliction and crying he declares that the Lord is good for those who wait for him. When God is discipling his children, it doesn’t last forever. Once they have learned their lesson, he shows compassion because he is love. God will repay our enemies if we wait for him to act. No one knows for sure who wrote Hebrews. Some think Paul and others Luke, but we do know that the purpose was to teach the superiority of the new covenant of grace above the old covenant of the law. God had spoken in the past through the law and the prophets but in the new covenant he spoke through his son, Jesus who was with Him in the beginning creating the universe. The Son revealed to man the glory of God. He was the express image of God. He came and cleansed us of our sin then rose to sit with God in the heavens. He is much greater than any of the angels and was given a greater name than they. All the angels worshipped Jesus at his birth. Jesus’ rule was one of justice. Jesus laid the foundation for the earth and made the heavens in the beginning but they will one day perish and wear out. Jesus will fold them up and discard it for a new one. No angel has the power that Jesus has. They are servants to care for God’s people. The words of Hebrews are repeated from our Psalm today. Lord, thank you for the new covenant of grace and salvation. Thank you for angels that are servant to your people. May we reflect your glory as Christ did to the world.

Sat.’s Devo - Forgiveness

Read: Lamentations 1:1-2:22; Philemon 1:1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 26:20 Lamentations was written by Jeremiah in five parts or elegies with 22 verses in each elegy. The first part is in alphabetical order according to the Hebrew language and the others in a pattern also of 22 verses. Most scholars believe it was written after the death of Josiah as he was the last of the righteous kings. Josiah had repented when the Word of the Lord was read to him in contrast to Jehoiakim who cut up God’s message and threw it in the fire. Judah experienced the last great revival during the reign of Josiah and he repaired the Temple to celebrate the Passover. When Josiah died the whole nation mourned his death. Lamentations is Jeremiah’s cry of mourning for the fall of Jerusalem. All Judah’s “friends”, the Egyptians and Philistines and any other nation she could pay to be her ally had all turned against her. She had sinned so greatly against the Lord, there was no hope for her. She had been turned over to her enemies with no one to help her. Now the Lord was against her and had planned her destruction. Her false prophets were all liars; her kings and leaders had been exiled along with the elite of Judah. Her children have been left lying on the streets. Philemon was a letter written by Paul who was in prison, to Philemon in Colosse. It was also addressed to Apphia who is believed to be Philemon’s wife and Archippus who was a leader in the church as well as a relative of Philemon’s. The subject of the letter was a former slave of Philemon’s named Onesimus. Onesimus had fled Colosse from his owner, Philemon, who he had defrauded in some way. He met up with Paul in Rome and was converted to the Lord and became one of Paul’s trusted disciples. Paul was sending this letter in his hand to give to Philemon asking him to forgive Onesimus and to see hm not as a former slave but a fellow brother in the Lord. Paul offered to pay Philemon any debt that Onesimus might owe him reminding Philemon that he owed Paul his very soul. (I’m sure Philemon forgave Onesimus any debt he owed.) Paul asked this for God’s sake and for Philemon’s. The proof that we are Christians is the fact that we can forgive others. We are tested with people in our lives that are hard to forgive so that we can learn to forgive as we have been forgiven. Lord help us in our trials especially in forgiving those that have hurt us and are hard to forgive. May our hearts be clear and free to love.

Fri.’s Devo - The Last Kings of Judah

Read: Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; Provers 26:18-19 God promises that when he punishes he repays in full and Babylon was the nation he was punishing. Her wall would be leveled and her gates burned. All the work of building the city would have been in vain. It would go down in flames. This was the message God gave Jeremiah while he was in Judah. He was told to send it to Zedekiah’s staff officer, Seraiah, who had been taken to Babylon. It was written on a scroll and he was to read it aloud to the people of Babylon. Then he was to tie it to a stone and throw it into the Euphrates River and say that this was the way Babylon and her people would sink and never rise again. This was Jeremiah’s last prophecy. Here is the history of the last kings of Judah. Josiah was the last good king. When he died, his younger brother Jehoahaz was made king by the people. The Egyptians invaded the land and deposed Jehoahaz and placed Eliakim on the throne. They changed his name to Jehoiakim. Babylonians defeated the Egyptians and then came and took Jehoiakim to Babylon along with Daniel and his three friends. The next year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent Jehoiakim back to Judah to be his vassal king. Jehoiakim was evil and returned to the idolatry that Manasseh had done and God sent Jeremiah to write a message for him to repent or God would destroy Jerusalem. Jehoiakim listened to the message and cut it up and threw it in the fire. Jehoiakim rebelled and stopped obeying and paying Babylon tribute three years later. Babylon responded with an army of troops who came and killed Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar set Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin on the throne of Judah. Jehoiachin was only eight years old and reigned 100 days before he was taken captive to Babylon. His uncle Zedekiah then reigned in Judah. Young Jehoiachin grew up in Babylon and when he was 45 years old, Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon and he showed Jehoiachin favor. He gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings. He gave Jehoiachin new clothes and he was allowed to dine at the king’s table for the rest of his life. In Titus, Paul reminded them that we should be obey their government and its officials. (The government that are legally elected.) We must be humble and kind to everyone. Jesus was humble and kind to us when we didn’t deserve it. He gave us salvation and poured out his Spirit upon us giving us confidence that we will have eternal life. We should try to live our lives doing good to others, not arguing over silly disagreements about works. If people cause division, they should be warned two times and then have nothing to do with them. Their own sins will condemn them. Lord, may we walk in love and good deeds. Thank you for your Spirit that enables us to walk in righteousness.

Thur.’s Devo - God’s Revenge

Read: Jeremiah 51:1-53; Titus 2:1-15; Psalm 99:1-9; Provers 26:17 The prophecy about Babylon is about 100 verses. She is the mother of all evil and the last kingdom to fall in Revelations. Babylon means “confusion; perversion”. She is the spirit of everything that is ungodly and the opposite of god. She is the spirit that is coming down in the world right now. God’s verdict and final judgment on Babylon was complete destruction. God’s advise to all his people living in Babylon was to flee. God had finally vindicated his people and came to judge evil. God would use the kings of the Medes and the Persians against Babylon. Their king was Cyrus. The craftsmen who made the idols they worship is deemed a fraud because their idols can’t save them. But God is no idol! He is the creator of everything that exists. God would repay Babylon for all the evil they did against his people. Babylon’s army will be so afraid they won’t come out to fight. All the escape routes would be blocked and their army would panic. Babylon had filled its belly with the riches of other nations but Jerusalem cries out to make the people of Babylon pay for spilling their blood. God answers Jerusalem saying that he would be their lawyer and plead their case before the courts of heaven. God would avenge his people. God would also punish their god, Bel or Baal. He wold no longer be worshiped because his kingdom has been destined to fall. In today’s reading about Titus I found nine forms of the word “teach”. The older men, older women, young men and slaves were all to live their lives in a way that it taught others how to live. They were to teach through example. We teach others how to live as we live for the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. His life freed us from every kind of sin and cleansed us and mades us his very own people totally committed to doing good deeds. We are to encourage the believers to do the same thing and correct them when necessary. Lord, may our lives be teaching to others of how to live in your kingdom. Thank you for pronouncing judgment and delivering us from the evil in our world. May we rebuild your kingdom of righteousness and holiness. Let your light shine upon our nation once again.

Wed.’s Devo - Babylon’s Fall

Read: Jeremiah 49:23-50:46; Titus 1:1-16: Psalm 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 26:13-16 Judgment is declared against Damascus, Kedar, Elam and lastly Babylon. Damascus was destroyed by the Assyrians about five years after Jerusalem fell. Damascus was such a beautiful magnificent city. Because of this people mourned its destruction and wondered why its enemies didn’t allow it to stand. Kedar and Elam were nomadic tribes descending from the sons of Ishmael. They were both attacked by Babylon. Hazor would remain desolate forever but Elam would one day be restored. Babylon would be God’s hand of justice on the nations, then they would be judged by an enemy from the north. Babylon’s gods were Bel (Baal) and Marduk. Marduk was thought to be Jupiter and a temple was built to honor him which modeled the Tower of Babel. These gods would be destroyed when Babylon fell and no one would live in Babylon again. Israel had been scattered throughout the nations but she would be brought home to the land and to her God. Merathaim (50:21) means “double rebellion”. It was a symbolic name for Babylon. Pekod was a chief province in Assyria. Babylon fought against the Lord and lost. Babylon was described as a hammer but God shattered it. She was no match for the army of God. God used Cyrus to destroy Babylon. Cyrus dried up the Euphrates River so his army could crawl under the gates and take the city. In light of what is going on today, God sent Donald Trump to be a modern-day Cyrus for our nation. His enemy was the Deep State, the Luciferians, Kazarian mafia (Babylonians) of our day. Last week in the news I read that the Euphrates River had dried up. We are living in a day that mirrors what we are reading in Jeremiah. God is judging the nations of the world and doing something about their abominations. We are winning this war against evil and we would see that if our media would tell the truth. When this is all over God will bring his captives home to him which means we will see the greatest revival ever! Paul wrote to Titus, his son in the faith, a letter to instruct him about how to appoint elders in the towns he had influence. It is a well-defined list that needs no interpretation. He warned them of the false doctrines of “works”. He summed it up in: “Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure,; but nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving.” Lord, may we walk in truth and right standing with you. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who leads us in the way that we should go. Thank you for saving our nation through your power and grace.

Tues.’s Devo - Judgement of Moab, Ammon and Edom

Read: Jeremiah 48:1-49:22; 2 Timothy 4:1-22; Psalm 95:1-96:13; Proverbs 26:9-12 God has a message for Moab, Amon and Edom and their lands. Moab and Ammon were descendants of the incest of Lot and his two daughters when they came out of Sodom and Gomorrah. The people of Moab had always lived in peace and had never gone into exile. That was about to change. Their god was Chemosh. He was the destroyer or subduer and his statue was known as the fish-god. He rewarded his worshipers with victories over other nations if they pleased him and punished them with defeat if he was angry. He required child sacrifices and other abominable worship. Molech was the god of the Ammonites. His statue was made of bronze and was heated to receive infants as a sacrifice. All infants were shaken over its flames at birth to purify them and it was believed that this ceremony allowed them life. The Edomites came from the descendants of Esau who sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. They had many gods: Baal Asheroth, Chemosh, and Molech, including Yaweh. They were subject to Judah for a long time then rejoiced and participated in Jerusalem’s fall. God pronounced the destruction of these three nations. In Second Timothy, Paul urged Timothy to fill his followers with good teaching so they wouldn’t be deceived in the future. Paul reminded him that good teaching includes correcting, rebuking and encouraging his people in righteousness. He warned Timothy of the spiritual battle that was ahead for the minds of his people. Deception was on its way. Paul shared the ones who had deserted him and did him harm. But he finished his race and had no regrets. God strengthened him through it all and it was worth it. Lord, encourage your people when they feel hopeless and deserted. Thank you for the strength of your Holy Spirit that pushes us on to finish our race.

Mon.’s Devo - Egypt’s Fall

Read: Jeremiah 44:24-47:7; 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 26:6-8 The people were hell-bent on worshiping their Queen of Heaven so God told them to just keep doing it. They would find out the hard way that they made the wrong choice. Only a few of them would survive the destruction God was bringing and as a sign this would happen, Pharaoh Hophra, who was the king of Egypt would be turned over to his enemies just as King Zedekiah was. Jeremiah had a scribe named Baruch who wrote down his words for him and helped him execute them. God promised Baruch that he would reward him with his life. Back when Jehoiakim was the king of Judah, Jeremiah had given a message concerning Egypt. Egypt’s army had just been defeated by the Babylonians. Jeremiah had seen Egypt’s demise. They thought they had a powerful invincible army but Jeremiah saw it fall before the army of Babylon. He told the people of Egypt to pack up and prepare to go into exile. Egypt was about to be punished for all of their sins. She was about to be humiliated. Their gods and their rulers would be punished and all of their followers. But, their land would recover. They would one day return to their land just like Judah. Egypt was about to conquer the Philistines so God had a message for the Philistines. Their time was just about over and God would punish them for their crimes against him. Tyre, Sidon, Crete, Gaza, and Ashkelon would all be conquered by the Egyptians. The sword of the Lord that accomplish their defeat. In Second Timothy, Paul warns us to flee from anything that causes us to have youthful lusts. Instead we need to pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. We are not to argue with those who oppose the truth but gently instruct them. Only God can change their hearts and free them from Satan’s trap. The last days will be difficult. People will love themselves and their money. They will scoff at God and disobey their parents. They will be proud and ungrateful; unloving and unforgiving. They will be cruel and turn on their own friends. Worst of all they will reject the power of God that could make them godly. Paul warned to stay away from these people. They pray on the vulnerable people and use them for their own gain. False teacher would arise with depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. One day they would be exposed for their lies. Paul lived a life of persecution and suffering for the truth. Evil people and imposters flourish for a season. They deceive others because they themselves are deceived. But we must remain faithful to the things we have been taught . We know that all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach truth and convict us of sin. God’s Word prepares and equips his people to do every good work. Lord, thank you for your Spirit and your Word. Thank you for truth. Keep us in your truth and may your discernment keep us in the faith.

Sun.’s Devo - God is Faithful to his Word

Read: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5 Johanan and his men went to Jeremiah to ask him to pray for them and ask God what they should do. He told them that if they stayed in the land, God would protect them but if they went to Egypt, they would be doomed. The death they ran from would catch up with them in Egypt. The Babylonians would come there and do to them what they did to the people of Jerusalem. In spite of Jeremiah’s warning, they refused to listen and went to Egypt. Jeremiah went with them and when they entered the city of Tahpanhes in Egypt Jeremiah took some large rocks and buried them under the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace. He told the people that Nebuchadnezzar who they were running from would come and set his throne over these stones that he had hidden. The king of Babylon would come and do to this city what they had feared. He would bring death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity and war to those destined for war. Nebuchadnezzar would take some of them back to Babylon and burn down their temples to their gods. Jeremiah continued his warning. Only a handful of them would survive to return. It was the women who burned incense to the idols and their husbands stood up for them. The women answered that they would not listen to Jeremiah. They would continue to offer incense to the Queen of Heaven just as they had always done. They had prospered when they did and stopped prospering when they had stopped. Their husbands knew what they were doing and refused to make them stop. So Jeremiah told them all that God saw them burning incense to idols in Judah and that was why he destroyed it. In 2 Timothy, Paul encourages usy to be strong in Christ. He gives us the example of a soldier, an athlete and a farmer. As a soldier we must focus on the mission and not get side-tracked by everyday life. As an athlete, we must follow the rules that God set for us in his Word. As a farmer, we should be the first ones to enjoy the fruit of our labor. Above all we must remember that Jesus was raised from the dead. This is the good news. Even though they had chained Paul to keep him from spreading this truth, the word of God cannot be chained. In God’s kingdom everything is upside down. We die to live and suffer in this life to reign in the next. If we deny him, he will deny us and even if we are unfaithful, he is always faithful. He reminded them to stop fighting over words and having useless arguments. All this only hurt the testimony of Christ. Lies spread like cancer, but the truth stands firm. He admonished us to keep our lives pure so God can use us for his glory. Lord, may our lives bring you glory. May we read your Word and obey.

Sat.’s Devo - Take Courage

Read: Jeremiah 39:1-41:18; 2 Timothy 1:1-18; Psalm 90:1-91:16; Proverbs 26:1-2 Jeremiah had prophesied during the reign of four kings of Judah about the fall of Jerusalem and finally during Zedikiah’s ninth year, Jerusalem was besieged. During his eleventh year the wall was broken down and all the officers of the Babyloniahn army came and sat in triumph at the Middle Gate. When King Zedekiah and his officers saw this they fled instead of surrendering. They waited it’ll night then slipped there the gate behind the kings’ garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley. But the Babylonians chased them, and captured Zedekiah and took him to see King Nebuchadnezzar face to face just as Jeremiah had prophesied. Nebuchadnezzar pronounced judgment against Zedekiah and the last thing he saw was his own sons being executed before his eyes were gouged out. Then he was marched to Babylon in chains. The walls of Jerusalem were torn down and the city burned. The people were taken as slaves to Babylon. Some of the poorest people of the land were allowed to stay and keep the land. Nebuchadnezzar had the captain of his guard find Jeremiah and make sure he was treated well. They brought him out of prison and put him under the care of Gedaliah who took him to his home. He was allowed to stay in Judah. Jeremiah told the Ethiopian, Ebed-melech that because he had rescued him from the cistern, God would rescue him from the Babyloniahn and he would live and be safe. The captain of the guard had found Jeremiah in chains among the captives that were going to Babylon. He took off his chains and gave him the choice of going with him to Babylon or staying in Judah with his people. He gave him food and money and set him free. Jeremiah chose to stay in Judah. Gedaliah had been made governor of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar but Ishmael, being of the royal seed of David (Jer 41:1) envied Gedaliah and he thought himself entitled to the position. He joined himself with the ancient heathen enemy of Judah and staged a coup against Gedaliah. Gedaliah was warned but didn’t heed the warning and walked right into Ishmael’s trap. Ishmael killed Gedaliah and his officers and the Babylonian officers who were with Gedaliah. He took captive all the people he hadn’t killed and prepared to march them as captives to the land of Ammon. When the military, led by Johanan found out about what Gedaliah had done they came after him and rescued the people. Ishmael and eight of his men escaped. Johanan took the survivors to Bethlehem whee he prepared to take them to Egypt. They were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they heard Gedaliah had been murdered since he was their appointed governor. Paul wrote Timothy a second letter. He encouraged him to have courage and to remember his spiritual gifts and not be afraid to use them. Also, don’t be ashamed to testify of Christ. Paul, himself was in prison but unashamed of why he was there. He felt privileged to suffer for Christ. Though he was in chains, his spirit was free to serve Christ. Lord, may we realize that our freedom was in Christ.

Fri.’s Devo - Judah’s Last King

Read: Jeremiah 37:1-28:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-21; Psalm 89:38-52; Proverbs 25:28 Zedekiah was the last king of David’s line to rule Judah. He was appointed by the king of Babylon. Zedekiah refused to heed the words of Jeremiah yet he sent word to Jeremiah to pray for them. Zedekiah had hired Egypt to come help them but they only made it to the southern border before the army of Babylon met them. The Babylonians had left besieging Jerusalem to fight them and keep Egypt from coming to Judah’s rescue. Zedekiah sent messengers to ask Jeremiah what would happen and he told them. The Egyptians would turn around and go back to their own land and not rescue them. The Babylonians would return to Jerusalem and finish what they started. Jerusalem would be burned to the ground. Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go see about the land he had bought from his cousin but was stopped by the sentry at the Gate of the city. They accused him of escaping to deflect to the Babylonians. Jeremiah told them that that was absurd but they locked him up in a dungeon cell anyway. Zedekiah sent for him to be brought secretly to his palace where he asked him if he had any messages from the Lord. Jeremiah had one: You will be defeated by the Babylonians. Then Jeremiah asked what his crime was. He begged not to be returned to the dungeon because he would die. The king had mercy and moved him to the palace prison. From there Jeremiah could tell the people that their only hope was to surrender to the Babylonians. The officials did not like what he was telling the people and they had him lowered into a cistern in the prison yard so he could no longer influence the people. Ebed-melech the Ethiopian who was an important court official heard about what they had done to Jeremiah and went to the king to beg the king to save Jeremiah’s life. He allowed him to draw Jeremiah out of the cistern and he was allowed to walk freely in the palace prison. Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and asked if he had any word for him from the Lord. Jeremiah told the king that if he would surrender to the Babylonians he and his family would be allowed to live and the city would not be burned down. Zedekiah told Jeremiah that he was afraid to surrender. He was afraid that the king would hand him over to his own people who had gone over to their side and they would be brutal to him. Jeremiah promised him that this would not happen. If he refused to surrender then all the women in his palace would be given to the officers of Babylon. His wives and children would be led out to Babylon and he would not escape. The city would be burned to the ground. Zedekiah made Jeremiah promise not to tell anyone about their conversation. The king’s officials did come to Jeremiah to ask him why the king had called him, but Jeremiah kept his promise and didn’t tell. Jeremiah remained a prisoner until Jerusalem was captured. Paul gave instructions to the slaves to respect their masters especially if their masters were believers. Paul taught them to be content no matter what their circumstance was because this proved a person’s godliness. Everything we have was given to us, and we can not take any of it with us when we die. The love to be rich can be a distraction that leads to ruin and destruction. He told the rich to not be proud or trust in their money which was so unreliable. Money is meant to be a means to do God’s work and share with others. Lord, may we have your heart in all that we have and say. May we be content in all the circumstances that You put us in and may we have discernment to know when it is you that placed us in the trial or our own decisions. Help us to be quick to repent and turn back to your will.

Thurs.’s Devo - Passing Down a Legacy of Faithfulness

Read: Jeremiah 35:1-36:32; 1 Timothy 5:1-25; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 25:25-27 God told Jeremiah to go to the camp of the Recobites and invite them to sit down and have some wine with them in a private setting. Jeremiah went to Jaazaniah and his grandson Habazzniah and all his brothers and sons who were Recobites and took them into private room. He set out cups and jugs of wine and invited them to have a drink. They all refused stating that their ancestor told them to never drink wine and to always live in tents and they had obeyed this. When the Babylonians attacked they moved to Jerusalem for safety. God used them as an example to the Jewish people. He told them that this family had obeyed the command of their ancestor for all these years yet they had not obeyed the God of their ancestors. Because they had refused to obey the Lord all the prophecies against them would be fulfilled. Jeremiah told the Recabites that because they had obeyed their ancestor in every respect they would always have descendants who serve the Lord. During Jehoiakim’s fourth year God told Jeremiah to write down all the messages he had given Jeremiah from the days of Josiah until now. Jeremiah had Baruch the scribe transcribe them on scrolls and had them sent to the Temple for the priests to read. When they read them, they were appalled at what they said. They sent a message to the king to tell him about the content of the scrolls and he asked for them to be brought and read to him. After the reader had read a few columns, Jehoiakim would take his knife and cut what he had just read and threw it in the fire. God told Jeremiah to take another scroll and write the messages again and added that because the king burned the first scrolls, he would have no heir to sit on the throne of David and his body would be thrown out and not buried in a grave. God would punish him and his family and all his attendants for their sins. All the disasters he spoke against Jerusalem would come true. Paul wrote to Timothy about the correct honor to give each category of people. He was to respect the elderly, treat younger men as brothers and older women as they would treat their mother. They were to treat the younger women as sisters. Widows should be taken care of first by their children and then the church. Then he described what a widow was in God’s eyes. It was a woman who was alone in the world but had placed her hope in God. She had been faithful to her husband and well respected by everyone. Her children were brought up well and the was kind to strangers and served others. Younger widows should remarry and have children and a house to keep her busy. The responsibility of the widow lies first on the family and then the church. If an elder is accused of anything, there must be at least two witnesses before it is believed or action is taken. If there is reprimand to be done it should be publicly in front of the whole church to be an example to others. Paul ended with everyone’s sins and good deeds will one day be brought to the light. Lord, may we walk in the fear of the Lord but also the love and grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May we pass down a legacy of faithfulness to You to our children and grand-children.

Wed.’s Devo - Living For Eternity

Read: Jeremiah 33:1-34:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 25:23-24 Jeremiah was still a prisoner in the palace prison when the Lord gave him this message. He saw them tearing down their houses to strengthen the walls to keep the Babylonians out. Jeremiah told them that this was all in vain because God had determined to give their city to the Babylonians because of all their wickedness. The time would come when they would rebuild the city and God would prosper Israel once again. Jeremiah saw the streets empty filled with people and singing. It was desolate and full of mourning. A righteous descendant of David would rise up and do what is just and right in the land. Judah will be saved and Jerusalem would be safe. He would reign forever on God’s throne and have Levitical priests to burn offerings and give sacrifices to Him. King Zedekiah had told the Israelites to free their fellow Hebrew slaves years ago and they had obeyed at first, but they had changed their minds and taken them back, forcing them to be slaves again. Because they did this, they would be set free only to be destroyed by war, disease and famine. They broke their oath with the Lord and he would break his with them. God would hand Zedekiah over to the Babylonians. Judah’s officials would be taken by their army. The Babylonian army had been called away but they would return and burn it down and take them captive. In Timothy, the Holy Spirit told them what would happen in the last days. Many would be deceived by the teachings of demons. These teachers will say it’s wrong to be married or to eat certain foods. God made the food and we should give him thanks and enjoy it. The devil loves to get us distracted with extremes. Our goal should be training in godliness that benefits our lives and causes a blessing in the life to come. He encouraged Timothy to use the gift that he had received when they laid hands on him and prayed for him. He reminded Timothy to keep Jesus as the goal as he lived his life. There is salvation in on other than Jesus. Lord, let that be our goal. May we live with eternity in mind instead of the silly things of the world. May your name be honored in our hearts and in our nation.

Tues.’s Devo - The New Covenant

Read: Jeremiah 31:27-32:44; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Psalm 88:1-8; Proverbs 25:20-22 God told Jeremiah that one day God would replenish the number of people who will be destroyed in the hear future. The people will no longer see the consequences of the sins of the parents passed down to the children. The ones who sinned would reap their own consequences. God was going to make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This would not be like the covenant he made with Moses and his people when He brought them out of Egypt. They broke that covenant. In the new covenant, God’s laws would be written on their hears - not tablets of stone. In their hearts they would know that God is their God. All of God’s people would know him from birth. In m understanding of scripture, God’s people are chosen before the foundation of the earth and so are Satan’s offspring. God’s people are given a heart that desires to know God and obey him. Satan’s offspring are given hearts to conquer and rule over God’s people and GOd’s creation. In their quest to do this they are slaves of Satan and are destined for death and destruction. The tenth year of Zedekiah’s reign was the 18th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rien. Jerusalem was under siege and Jeremiah had been put in stocks by Zedekiah in the courtyard of Zedekiah’s palace. The king asked Jeremiah why he kept prophesying their doom. Jeremiah said he couldn’t only answer what God said and God said that he, Zedekiah would be captured and taken to meet Nebuchadnezzar face to face. He warned Zedekiah that if he tried to escape, he would never succeed. Then God gave Jeremiah a physical sign of confirmation. God told him that his cousin Hanamel would come to him and offer to sell his land to Jeremiah. This happened and Jeremiah bought the land for 17 pieces of silver. He had the deed signed in the presence of witnesses. This was a promise that they would one day return to the land God had given to them. Jeremiah bought this land as siege ramps were being constructed against the city. The houses that used to be used to burn incense to other gods would be burned down themselves. Jeremiah gave them a list of their offenses. They would be taken to Babylon where they would repent and return with a heart to worship the Lord. Land would be bought and deeds would be signed and Israel would prosper once again. Timothy gave the requirements of the leaders, deacons, and wives. They should all live their lives as examples of how Jesus lived his life. The church was to be the pillar and foundation of the truth. Lord, may we walk in your truth and let our lives reflect Christ.

Mon.’s Devo - God Restores

Read: Jeremiah 30:31-26; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 87:1-7; Proverbs 25:18-19 The Lord encouraged them with promise of their restoration. God asked them a question: “Do men give birth to babies?” (They are trying to tell us that men can have babies but God knows they can’t. He made us male and female.) What God was trying to say was that there were some basic laws of nature that can’t be changed and this was one of them. Another one was that He would never abandon his people. It would go against his law of nature. It was indeed a time of great terror and trouble for the people of Israel but they will be saved. One day, they would choose the Lord as their god and God will bring them back to their land and prosper them. Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the palace will be reconstructed. They will be honored and their children will prosper as God establishes them as a nation. Anyone who hurts them will be punished. They will have a new ruler from their own people. For the meantime, the people who survive the coming destruction will find rest and blessings in the barren land. Jeremiah continues with the future of their rebuilding. They will return and rebuild with joy and love for their God. God will bring his people who had been scattered over the earth back home. They will come back repentive and sorry for abandoning the Lord in their youth. God always loves his children and will always have mercy on them. He told them to mark the road with signs so they can return to their towns. It seems that today’s reading was given to Jeremiah in a dream and when he awoke he described his sleep as sweet. God’s mercies are sweet. Paul continues his letter to Timothy who was living in Ephesus. Ephesus was a Greek city with many Greek gods and where women were worshipped. This influence was everywhere so when the Godspell was preached there the people came with all their culture. They had no idea who to live according to God’s ways so Timothy had to teach them. Paul was helping him instruct the people. The number one point was that Jesus was the only mediator between God and man. They were used to having many gods. He wanted them to have freedom to worship God free of anger and controversy. He urged the women to dress modestly and not bring attention to themselves but to realize that their beauty was in their good deeds, not their outward apparel. Lord, thank you for the promise of our nations’ restoration also. We are in a time of great trouble but you are our only hope and you have given us precious promises of restoration. Lift up the weary and give hope to the downtrodden. Our hope is in you.

Sun.’s Devo - The Truth vs. Lies

Read: Jeremiah 28:1-29:32; 1 Timothy 1:1-20; Psalm 86:1-17; Proverbs 25:17 In Zedekiah’s fourth year of his reign, Hananiah spoke in front of all the people and priests left in Jerusalem. He said that he was speaking for God. God was breaking the yoke of the king of Babylon and in two years they would get back everything he had stolen from them. Jeremiah responded that he hoped what Hananiah said was true, but they would have to wait and see if Hananiah was a true prophet by if what he said came true. To emphasize what he was saying, Hananiah took the yoke that God had told Jeremiah to wear and broke it saying in two years the yoke of Babylon would be broken. Days later, the Lord told Jeremiah to go back to Hananiah and tell him that the Lord was replacing the yoke of wood that he had broken and was replacing it with a yoke of iron. He was putting this yoke on all the nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah told Hananiah that because he prophesied lies in the Lord’s name he would die at the end of that year. Two months later he died. Jeremiah wrote a letter to the ones who had been exiled to Babylon telling them to settle in Babylon as their home because they would be there for 70 years and God did not want them to die out. He wanted them to multiply there so he could bring them back at the end of the 70 years. He warned them to not listen to their prophets in Babylon. Their so-called prophets would be killed before their very eyes by the king of Babylon because they did not speak for God. They prophesied that God would raise up a remnant among the ones who stayed in Jerusalem, but God said he would scatter them over the earth and they would be killed in war and famine. Jeremiah also sent a letter to Shemaiah, one of the false prophets who had been taken to Babylon. Shemaiah had told Zephaniah, the priest to kill Jeremiah because he told them they would be in Babylon for a long time. Instead of killing Jeremiah, Shemaiah had given the letter to Jeremiah. God told Jeremiah to send an open letter to all the people in exile. It was to tell all the people that Shemaiah had tricked them with his lies. Because of this, God would not let him or his family see the good things that God is going to do for his people. Paul wrote a letter to Timothy, his mentee encouraging him in his work. He had sent him to Ephesus where the Gnostics were all caught up in studying the genealogies of spirits. It was today’s version of studying the Greek gods. I am amazed when I watch Jeopardy when the category is Greek gods and how they know all the answers and when it comes to Bible categories they seldom know simple facts. That would be a modern day example of what was going on then. Paul sums it up with: knowing all that stuff doesn’t help you live a life of faith in God. God wants his believers to be filled with love from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a genuine faith. They had teachers who taught the law but didn’t know what they were talking about. Paul explained that the law was good if it was taught rightly. It was intended for those who didn’t know the Lord to point out their sin and lead them to see their need for a Saviour. Paul used his own life as an example. He used to blaspheme Christ’s name because he was ignorant and didn’t know the truth. God in his mercy saved him to show others that a sinner could be saved and changed. Paul admonished Timothy to keep his faith in Christ strong and his conscience clear so he wouldn’t be shipwrecked like Hymenaeus and Alexander. Paul had handed them over to Satan so they would learn not to blaspheme God. They are mentioned again in 2Ti 2:17-18 where we learn that they taught the people that the resurrection had already happened. When Paul “turned him over to Satan” it meant that he removed the covering of protection from them and allowed the devil to attack them in hopes that they would repent and turn back to the truth. The end was meant for good. Lord, may we keep our faith alive and strong in you. May we not be deceived or distracted from your plan. Thank you for your goodness and grace.

Sat.’s Devo - God Saves Jeremiah

Read: Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 25:16 During the reign of Jehoiakim, God had Jeremiah go to the courtyard in front of the Temple and announce to all who came there to worship. If they refused to repent from their sins, God would destroy this Temple like he did the one in Shiloh, the place the Tabernacle had been. When the false prophets and the priests heard what Jeremiah said they mobbed him and wanted to kill him. How dare he say that their Temple was going to be destroyed! The officials ran over to the palace and had a hearing to decide Jeremiah’s fate. Jeremiah testified in his own behalf and told them that the Lord had sent him to say everything he had said and he had to obey. If they stopped their sinning, they could stop God’s wrath but if they didn’t, then what he said would happen. As for himself, they could kill him if they wanted to but they would be responsible before God for what they did. The officials told the people and the priests that Jeremiah had done nothing worthy of death. The older wise men told them of Micah, a prophet who had told Hezekiah the same thing and he and the people repented and begged for mercy and God gave them mercy. Then another prophets named Uriah predicted the same thing Jeremiah was saying and had to flee to Egypt for his life. King Jehoiakim had sent his men to bring him back from Egypt and had him killed and buried in an unmarked grave. Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob. Shaphan had been the scribe or royal secretary for Josiah. He had been the one that King Josiah had sent to ask the Lord for mercy when he found the copy of the law and realized they had done everything that would make God mad. His son Ahikam was following in his father’s footsteps. Ahikam would have a son named Gedaliah. He would also be a righteous person who would be chosen by the Babyloniahn to govern Jerusalem when they took over. In the beginning of Zedikiah’s reign, the Lord told Jeremiah to make a yolk and fasten it to his neck with leather straps. He was to send this message to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon by their ambassadors that were visiting King Zedikiah. God had given their nations over to the Babylonians and they should submit to them if they didn’t want to be destroyed by them. They should not listen to their lying prophets. He told the same thing to King Zedikiah. If he wanted to live he should submit to the Babylonians. He should not listen to his lying prophets. They were telling the king that the things the Babylonians had taken from their Temple would soon be returned. They should be praying that what was left in the Temple and their own possessions were not taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had left some of the things in the Temple when he took Jehoiachin to Babylon but they would be taken to Babylon also. They would stay there until God sent for them and then they would return. In Thessalonians, Paul was ending his letter with a lead for prayer. He wanted prayer that the Lord’s message would spread rapidly and be honored wherever it went. He also wanted them to join him in praying safety from the wicked and evil people who were not believers. Paul commanded them to stay away from people who claimed to be believers but refused to work for themselves. He told them to never tire of doing good. Lord, may we be laborers in your field and not idle. Thank you that you are in total control of the nations of the earth. Everything is subject to your Word and your power.

Fri.’s Devo - The Judgment of the Nations

Read: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15 God rebuked the false prophets who had dreams and told the people the Lord had given them. God hadn’t spoken to them and he heard their lies. Instead of their prophecies bringing people to the Lord, they led them to worship Baal. God told Jeremiah to let them keep making up their prophecies but he had true prophets that told the truth about what he was saying. God’s word burns like fire and is like a hammer that smashes a rock to pieces. Jeremiah was instructed to tell these false prophets to stop saying that they got their words from the Lord. If they continued to claim they had heard from God, then God would expel them from his presence along with the city of Jerusalem. He would make them an object of ridicule and their name would be infamous throughout the ages. King Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin to Babylon along with all the artisans who made the false gods. God gave Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs. They were placed in front of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem. One was filled with fresh, ripe figs and the other with rotten figs. The good figs represented the exiles sent to Babylon. They would one day return to the Lord and he would bring them back to their land. The bad figs represented King Zedekiah and his officials and those sent to Egypt. They would become more evil and horrible. They will experience war, famine and disease until they have all died. Chapter 25 happened before the time when King Jehoiakim was taken captive. It happened when Babylon began its siege on Jerusalem. Jeremiah reminded them that he had been warning them for 23 years. He began speaking to them when Josiah was in his 13th year as king. Jeremiah had been faithful to pass on God’s word to them but they had refused to listen. God had other prophets who said the same thing but they refused to listen to them also. The people continued to worship their idols bringing on themselves the disaster they were now facing. The land would be taken from them and they would be killed or taken to Babylon. They would stay there for 70 years until they had learned their lesson, then the Lord would bring them home. The Babylonians would then be judged in proportion to how they treated God’s people. God gave Jeremiah a cup of God’s anger and told him to make all the nations he sent him to drink from it. He took it to Egypt, the kings of the Philistine cities, the nations of Edom. Moab and Ammon and the kings of Tyre and Son. He gave it to Dedan, Tema, and Buz and the kings of Arabia and the nomadic tribes of the desert and the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media. All the kingdoms of the world drank from this cup of God’s anger. It would bring great war against them. He began his punishment with his people and it would spread to the whole world. Judgement always begins in the house of the Lord. The wicked would be slaughtered in war. This was a picture of the end of days. In Thessalonians we are given a roadmap to the end. The end will not come until the man of lawlessness is revealed. He will defy everything the people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God claiming that he himself is God. His kingdom will be working in secret long before he is revealed but he will not be revealed until Jesus says it is time. He will be slayed and destroyed by Jesus’ return. The anti-christ will come with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of deception to fool those on their way to destruction - those who loved evil. They were thinking this was happening in their day just like many think this is happening now. Every generation has a wake-up call and things look ripe for the coming of Christ. We are closer than ever before and see many people who could be the anti-christ but my gut tells me this is only a type. I see great things in store for God’s people who stay faithful to him and wait for his deliverance. We are in a time of great shaking and a judgment on the nations of the world. But instead of the end, I see a new beginning coming. Lord, may we persevere with great faith through the days to come. Give your body of believers hope and strength to shine as lights in the dark world.

Thurs.’s Devo - On Earth as it is in Heaven

Read: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 25:11-14 God had wanted his people to be his representatives on earth and his kingdom on earth - Israel to look like the Kingdom of Heaven. The kings were suppose to be just and righteous like God to encourage the people to love God. Instead the kings had become wicked and self-serving. They wanted to be worshiped as God. They led the people into idolatry instead of righteousness. Jeremiah was told to go and speak to the king of Judah directly which at that time was Jehoahaz, but his message was also for the next three kings: Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. God told Jehoahaz to stop ruling unjustly and killing the innocent. If he didn’t, God would destroy his land and remove him from his land. He told the people to stop mourning their dead king, Josiah and weep instead for Jehoahaz who will be led away captive and never see his land again. In other words he was saying to the people to stop mourning the past, but to discern their future because it wasn’t looking too good. Jehoiakim was chastised for building his kingdom on forced labor. What good is a big beautiful palace if its just going to be burned down and he would never enjoy it. The people wouldn’t weep or mourn from him when he was killed. Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin would be turned over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and be taken to a foreign land. None of his sons would be king. All the people would be scattered but the day would come back to the land. God would raise up a righteous descendant of David who would rule with wisdom, justice and righteousness. One day, the people of Israel would refer not to the day God delivered them through Moses but to the time God brought them back to their own land. Jeremiah mourned the false prophets who God cursed. They abused the power they had and did much evil. The priests were also ungodly men who did despicable acts in the Temple. God had judged Samaria’s false prophets of Baal who led Israel into sin and now Judah’s prophets had done worse. They promised Judah that peace was coming to them. They gave the people a false sense of security so they felt no need to repent or change. They would find out for themselves when the words of Jeremiah begin to be fulfilled. But, it would be too late for the people to change it. The second letter to the church of Thessalonica was sent by Paul, Silas and Timothy. They commended the church for their faith and love for God and one another. They had faithfully endured persecutions and hardships with grace and faith. God would justify their suffering and pay back their enemies. They prayed rest for them and reminded them of Gods fiery judgment that would come in the end. They continued to pray for them the they would live a life worthy of his call and that they would be given power to complete the things God prompted them to do. Lord, with your grace, allow us to accomplish all you have called us to do. May we see our present suffering as a test to qualify us for future work in your kingdom. May your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Promises Do Come

Read: Jeremiah 19:1-21:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 25:9-10 God told Jeremiah to go and buy a clay jar and ask the leaders to follow him out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the Hinnom Valley. There, God prophesied through Jeremiah great destruction upon Judah. They had shed the blood of innocent children and built shrines to Baal. (Sounds like America.) They would be slaughtered by the armies of Babylon and Jerusalem would be reduced to ruins making it ‘a monument to their stupidity.’ The enemy would besiege the city until the people begin to eat one another to survive. Then Jeremiah smashed the jar he had brought and told them that this was what would happen to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. They would be smashed and buried in this garbage dump until there would be no more room for them. Pashur the priest heard what Jeremiah was prophesying and had him arrested. Jeremiah told Pashhur that the Lord had changed his name to “the Man Who Lives in Terror”. Terror would come upon him and his friends. He would watch the people get slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. They watch Jerusalem being destroyed and he and his family would be taken prisoners to Babylon. They would die there along with all the other false prophets that said everything would be okay. Jeremiah had his own pity party, probably while he was in jail. He complained that he couldn’t help but prophesy because God’s words were like fire in his bones and they just had to come out. He mourned that his whole life had been full of shame, trouble and sorrow. When Babylon did begin to attack Judah, King Zedekiah sent Pashhur and his friends to Jeremiah to beg him to pray to God for them for help. Jeremiah sent them back to King Zedekiah with news that it was God who was fighting against them. He would slaughter and them and show them no mercy, pity or compassion. He had warned them for years and they hadn’t listened. Everything that Jeremiah had told them about would happen. Paul warns the people of another coming disaster for the people who refused to repent. It would be the second coming of Christ. For the believer, it will not be a surprise. Their temptation will be to go to sleep while waiting. To stay awake and not weary they must continue walking in love and faith, wearing the helmet of salvation. They must be confident in the fact that God is not going to pour out his anger on them. As we wait on the Lord for any of his promises we are instructed to stay diligent in our work, respect our leaders, be patient with those who are weak and do good to all people. We must always be joyful and never stop praying. We always have something to be thankful for. We need to honor the prophets of our day and not stifle the Holy Spirit. Then, God’s peace will make us holy and our whole spirit, soul and body will be kept blameless until Jesus comes again. God, may your grace be with us to make us holy. May we patiently wait for your promises to come true in our lives. We put all our hope in You.

Tues.’s Devo - The End is Coming

Read: Jeremiah 16:16-18:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3; Psalm 81:1-16; Provers 25:6-8 Jeremiah and God continue their conversations. God told Jeremiah he was sending fishermen and hunters to catch those that hid from him. He would double their punishment because they defiled his land with images of their detestable gods. Jeremiah told God that He was his hiding place. The generations yet to come will be appalled by the inheritance of foolish idols that had been left to them. God declared that their sins had been engraved in their stony hearts and even their children followed in their pagan worship. All of it would become plunder to their enemies. The inheritance the Lord had planned for them would be given to their enemies and they would be taken prisoner to a foreign land. But the people who remained loyal to the Lord will be blessed. They will not be worried by long months of drought; they will stay green and never stop producing fruit. God will search the hearts of every person and give them the reward their heart deserved. God sent Jeremiah to all the gates of Jerusalem starting at the one the king used.He was to give His message. He told them to stop trading and doing business on the Sabbath. If they obeyed the Lord then they would always have a descendant of David sitting on the throne. IF they didn’t obey then the gates he stood in front of would be torched with fire. Next, he told Jeremiah to go down to the potter’s shop and watch how the potter shaped the clay. If he didn’t like the way it was coming out, he would crush it back into a lump and start over. God said that he would do as this potter had done to his clay. He would crush them if they didn’t repent. The more Jeremiah prophesied, the more the people refused to listen. God said that the land would be desolate and their enemies would shake their heads in astonishment. The rebellious ones hated Jeremiah and plotted to kill him so they wouldn’t have to listen to his warnings. Jeremiah knew of their plans and took them to the Lord. He wanted justice. Paul dealt with some of the same things. The new Christians were surrounded by evil and sexual promiscuity. He warned them to stay away from all sexual sin and be holy. He told them that they controlled their bodies and with God’s help, they could live holy lives. Following God requires turning from sin. Then he encouraged them to love one another. Paul encouraged them about death. Their loved ones who died would be raise to life again and come back to live on the earth when Christ returns. The ones living at that time who are believers will meet the Lord in the air and join the ones coming to the earth to live in the Millennial reign on earth. This will happen when the earth least expects it. They will think they are secure but find out they were wrong. They will not be able to escape. The believers would already have been taken in the Rapture. He is not coming to us as a thief, but he is coming to the world in the end as a thief. Lord, may we be ready for all you are doing. May we hear the voices of your prophets and heed their warnings. May you be our only God.

Mon.’s Devo - Hold Fast to the Faith

Read: Jeremiah 14:11-16:15; i Thessalonians 2:9-3:13; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 25:1-5 Jeremiah and God had conversations and it is very obvious in today’s reading where you read “the Lord said to me,” and “then I said,” over and over. The Lord begins by telling Jeremiah to stop praying for these people. Jeremiah complains that their prophets are telling them that all is well and they will have peace. God says he will punish those lying prophets and the people they prophesied to will end up dead on the streets. He told Jeremiah to give them a picture of what the streets will look like when that happens. Jeremiah prayed repentance for the people since they wouldn’t do it themselves. God told him that even if Samuel and Moses prayed for them, He wouldn’t listen. The people themselves needed to repent. God would send four destroyers against them, the sword, the dogs, the vultures and the wild animals. Manasseh had led the people into idolatry and did detestable things so detestable things would happen to them. God was tired of always giving them a second chance. First he would take their beloved children, then the fathers would be taken or killed and lastly the mothers would be destroyed. God’s people would be left felling like a mother who was made childless - disgraced and humiliated. But God promised Jeremiah that he will be taken care of for his faithfulness. His enemies will ask him to pray for them in their distress. God will give them his people as captives. Jeremiah pleads for his own life. He reminds God of how he had lived a life of rejection and self denial. His life was full of suffering and loneliness. God tells Jeremiah to return to Him. Thinking of all he is missing out on was not helpful. God is his only comfort. God tells Jeremiah that he must influence them and not let them influence him. God also told Jeremiah not to get married or have children, not to attend funerals or mourn, and not to go to parties or feasts. This would be a forecast what is about to happen. Jeremiah’s life was the evening news. The time was coming soon where no one will be able to do these things. When they asked him why they deserved such judgment from he Lord, he was to tell them that it was because their ancestors were unfaithful to Him and now they were even worse than them. One day they will see the Lord bring them back to their land. Paul commended the people of the church in Thessalonica for accepting their teaching as from the Lord which it was. They had suffered persecution from their own fellow countrymen just as Jesus did from the Jews. God will punish their enemies. Paul had longed to visit them but it wasn’t the Lord’s will so he finally sent Timothy to visit them. He was sent to strengthen and encourage them and keep them from being shaken by all the things they were going through. Paul had warned them of the trials they would face once they became Christians. He was afraid that Timothy would find them weak and intimidated by Satan’s attacks, but instead he found them full of faith and love. Paul was so encouraged to learn of their growth and that they were standing firm in Jesus. We are going through the same trials in our nation but we need to stand firm in the promises God has given us to restore our nation and make it great again. We still have some dark days ahead but then we have some wonderful days also. We need to focus on them to get us through the hard days. The best is yet to come! Lord, may we stand firm in our faith through the trials we are facing and the trials of our nation. We choose to listen to your voice and not the voice of the false prophets, the media, that are prophesying fear and war. We choose to hear your voice and hold fast with hope and expectation.

Sun.’s Devo God of Justice

Read: Jeremiah 12:1-14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34 Jeremiah goes to the one who always had given him justice in the past. He wanted to know why the wicked were so prosperous.They seemed to be the happy ones who speak of the Lord with their mouths, but he is far from their hearts. Even all of nature had responded to the sins of the people. It was dying and Jeremiah wanted the people to have to pay. The wicked thought God couldn’t see what was up ahead for them because they weren’t honoring his prophecies. God responded by asking Jeremiah a question. “If racing against mere men makes you tire, how will you race against horses?” In other words he was telling Jeremiah to put on his big boy britches. His family had turned against Jeremiah just like God’s family had turned against Him. His chosen people had roared against him and he could take it, so Jeremiah needed to get a harder shell. The Lord had watched his beautiful creation be trampled on and left desolate and no one cared. God is coming with his sword and would bring vengeance on the whole nation. No one would be able to escape. Once the Lord emptied his land of people, he would bring them home - a different people who call will on his name. God told Jeremiah to buy a linen loincloth and wear it but not to wash it. After wearing it for a while he was to take it and bury it in the rocks by the Euphrates. A long while later he was to go and dig it up and show the people the rotted cloth that was good for nothing. He was to tell them that this loin cloth represented their pride that God was going to rot away from them. God had created Israel to cling to him as a loin cloth but they refused to honor him. Next, God told Jeremiah to tell the people, “May all your jars be filled with wine.” They would joyfully agree with this is a blessing, but Jeremiah would explain that he was filling everyone with drunkenness and from the king on down, they would not be able to make good decisions. God would not have any pity or mercy on them because they chose this. Jeremiah begged the people to repent and weep because of their sins. They would soon be taken captive but maybe God would have mercy if they repented. Jeremiah pled with them to open their spiritual eyes and try to see what he saw. He saw the enemy coming to take them. They had made allies with wicked nations who would turn on them. In Chapter 14, Jeremiah paints them a picture of Judah after the siege. The land is desolate because their sins had finally caught up with them. Paul had preached for three weeks in the synagogue in Thessalonica. Most of the Jews rejected the teaching but many Gentiles believed and suffered the persecution they received to walk in the Gospel of Christ. They continued meeting in the home of Jason and became a body of believers know as the Church in Thessalonica. After Paul left Thessalonica, Silas and Timothy remained. They were accused of speaking against Caesar by claiming Jesus as king so they had to flee for their lives. Paul begins his letter to them by praising them for their faithfulness and charity. He will deal with their needs later. Lord, thank you that you don’t wait forever in bringing justice. Help us to be patient in waiting on your to move. Thank you that you know the end from the beginning.

Sat.’s Devo - God of the Nations 10-8-22

Read:Jeremiah 10:1-11:23; Colossians 3:18-4:18; Psalm 78:56-72; Provers 24:28-29 Other nations tried to read the stars and were terrified by what they thought the stars were saying. God told Israel not to follow their practices. Other nations made gods from pieces of wood. They decorated them with gems and metal but they were nothing but scarecrows. God told them not to be afraid of their gods. But, there is no one like God who is great and full of power. He is the king of all the nations and they should fear him and not their gods. None of the nations can stand up to God when he gets angry. God told Jeremiah to tell all the people who trusted in their homemade idols about the God who created the earth. He controls the thunder and the rain. He sends the lightning and releases the wind. The idol makers are frauds and the people who buy them are fools. It was time for the people to pack their bags because the siege against Jerusalem was about to happen and they would be taken into exile. The towns of Judah were about to be destroyed and become desolate. Jeremiah plead with the Lord for mercy for them and revenge on their enemies. God sent Jeremiah to remind the people of the covenant they made with him and the consequences it says would happen if they broke it. They would be cursed. They had chosen to worship other gods so they would be shamed. God told Jeremiah to not weep or pray for them anymore because He would not listen. The people wanted to make sacrifices to God but also to enjoy their sins and idolatry. There were many who plotted to kill Jeremiah but God wouldn’t let it happen. These men would die instead. In Colossians, Paul instructed the wives to submit to their husbands as it is fit in the Lord. I take that to mean that as long as the husband fits into God’s standard, the wife is to submit. It doesn’t mean that if the husband is sinning that the wife is to submit to that. The husband is to love his wife and not treat her harshly. Children are to please the Lord by obeying their parents. Fathers are not to aggravate their children because they will become discouraged. Workers are to honor their bosses as if they were working for the Lord. Bosses are to be just and fair to their employers as they represent the Lord. Through Christ, we have the power to live wisely and have the right response for every situation. Like Paul, we are surrounded by other Christians who are there to help us in this life. We should be thankful for them. God made us to need the whole Body in our walk. Lord, help us to see the big picture of your kingdom and how we fit into it.

Fri.’s Devo - God’s Heart

Read: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26; Colossians 3:1-17: Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 24:27 Jeremiah was at the end of his words to the people. They thought they were wise because they had God’s word but he told them that their teachers had twisted the law by adding lies to it. The time was coming where they would stumble over their own words and be trapped by their own traps. They were not wise but frauds. God would give their wives to others and their farms to strangers. They gave the people promises of peace when God was saying that destruction was coming. Jeremiah told them that when these things happen, the people will would to move from Jerusalem to the fortified cites for protection. Then they would realize their sins brought this upon them. When these things finally happen God mourns as he punishes his people. It does not make him happy to bring their destruction. He wishes they had turned on their own and he had not had to do this to them. The people will not be able to trust each other during this time. They will be tested through the fires of adversity and their hearts will be exposed. Being from Louisiana, this reminds me of what happened to New Orleans during Katrina. New Orleans was a city of voodoo and Marti Gras. They had a parade every week-end to celebrate a different foreign god. The day Katrina hit there was a parade scheduled where I heard they were going to demonstrate homosexual acts on the float. They never got to have that parade but they have not given up their celebrations or learned their lesson. They didn’t consider why Katrina hit or examine their sins. But, their city has still not rebuilt or totally recovered from Katrina and now Ivan hit again. God told the people of Jerusalem that they had boasted in their wisdom and power and riches but they should only boast in knowing him and understanding that the Lord is the one who demonstrates his love by bringing justice and righteousness to the earth. The time was coming when God would punish the pagan nations also. In Colossians, Paul explains that we are new creatures of a new kingdom. We should think about that kingdom more than the one we are living in. Our new life is hidden in Christ. We have to put to death our past evil desires so we can put on our new nature which his God’s. Getting to know him renews us. We are all the same in his kingdom. God chose us to be holy and we can choose to put on his garments of mercy, love, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We can choose to forgive. The message of Christ is rich and fulfilling. We are commanded to counsel each other in its wisdom. God loves us to sing songs to him and as his representative to be thankful. Lord, may we represent you in a way that makes you smile. May we think of you more and your kingdom more than we think of this world. Give us your vision.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Crossroad

Read: Jeremiah 6:16-8:7; Colossians 2:8-23; Psalm 78:1-31; Proverbs 24:26 Israel was at a crossroads and they needed to decide what road they were about to take. One of the choices was to go back to their roots and choose the road that God mapped out for their nation. But, that was not the road they wanted to choose. God had sent prophets which were like signposts to show them the road to take but they refused to pay attention to the signs. The result would be disaster. They would eat the fruit of their own hands which was wickedness. Jeremiah was to test the people and find out what they were made of as a tester or metals examines stones and metals to see if they were pure or worthless. God would label them as “Rejected Silver.” God sent Jeremiah to the gates of the Temple to tell them that if they repented he would allow them to stay in their own land. Just because God’s Temple was there didn’t mean he had to keep the people there. God promised to be merciful only if they would stop their evil thoughts and deeds and started treating each other with justice. They must stop exploiting foreigners, orphans and widow and stop murdering and worshiping idols. Then they would be able to stay in their land forever. The people had a false sense of security because of the Temple of the Lord. They thought God would never let it be destroyed but they were wrong. God had made it clear when they built it that the building could not contain him and that he didn’t need an earthly building with his name on it. The whole earth was his footstool. When the people refused to turn back to Him, God told Jeremiah to stop praying and crying out for the people. They were bent on worshipping other gods and teaching their children to do the same. They were to tell the people this so they would be warned of how God was thinking. They had set up idols inside God’s Temple and their dumping place would become a valley of slaughter. The enemy was coming from the north and it would open up their graves and scatter their bones where they will not be buried again. In other words, they will expose their sins where they will not be able to hid from them. God ended his words explaining that even birds know when to migrate back to their homes but his people refuse to come back home - back to him. Human reasoning and philosophy is the opposite of God’s ways. The only way we can know anything about God is through Christ. When we come to Christ he performs the operation of circumcision on our sinful nature. When Jesus died on the cross he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities that led us to sin. Jesus shamed these spiritual enemies on the cross. Lord, help us to walk in the freedom you purchased for us on the cross. Thank you for your wisdom and revelation.

Wed.’s Devo - The Coming Disaster

Read: Jeremiah 4:19-6:15; Colossians 1:18-2:7; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 24:23-25 Jeremiah was sent to speak to Judah of her sins but he also addressed Israel, the ten tribes. Today, he speaks to Judah, the two tribes. He sees the destruction that is coming that will touch every man in Judah. Their status, wealth, position, or poverty will not exempt them from what is coming. He sees the whole land in confusion. The people had ignored Jeremiah’s prophecies saying God would never do such a thing as destroy his chosen people. They accused Jeremiah of treachery and lies but it was the people who lied about the Lord. God promised to be a flame out of Jeremiah’s mouth. God would bring a distant, mighty and ancient nation against them that did not speak their language. The would be wielding deadly weapons and their warriors would be mighty. They would devour their food supply and kill their children. They would take their livestock and produce. They would learn that their fortified cities were not so fortified. They had rejected God and worshipped foreign gods in their own land and now they would serve foreigners in a foreign land. God was appalled at their rebellion. He asks why shouldn’t he punish his children who have rebelled so naughtily. Their prophets gave false prophecies and their priests ruled with an iron hand and the people liked it that way. Jeremiah warns them to evacuate Jerusalem because it will soon be destroyed. The land would be picked over like a reaper at harvest time. The people would refuse to listen and turn so from the young to the old, judgment would come and uproot their lives. Jerusalem’s wickedness spewed like a fountain and her streets were full of violence. It would be turned to a heap of ruins where no one would live. This would happen because they refused to repent. In Colossians, God says that Christ reconciled us to Him through his death and now we are holy and blameless as we stand before him. He sees us without a single fault. We have to stand on this truth and not let it slip from our mind. Our great secret is that Christ lives in us enabling us to do what is right. We have the wisdom of God inside us. Paul admits that this truth is a struggle for him also and he has to constantly reminds himself of God’s great promise. Paul wants them to get this in their hearts so they will have confidence in God’s wonderful plan for the Body of Christ. Lord, help us to understand your mysteries. Thank you that You live in us and enable us to walk righteously and choose the right way. You are our Great Shepherd.

Tues.’s Devo - Return!

Read: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18; Colossians 1:1-17; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 24:21-22 The Lord asks his people if he has been such a bad god since they are rejoicing that they are at last free from him. They say they don’t need him anymore by their actions. They killed the innocent and the poor for no reason. They refused to admit they had done anything wrong but it is time for justice. They went from nation to nation trying to find allies but they would let them down. They made allies with Egypt but they would betray them. Why don’t they come back to the Lord, the only one who can save them? Because of their prostitution against the Lord, He didn’t give them their summer rains to feed their crops. During the reign of Josiah, God pointed out that Judah had followed Israel in their sins. God had divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery and now Judah has done the same things only her sins were greater. Judah had the Temple and the priests and Jerusalem. All God wanted them to do was to confess their sin of abandoning him and return to Him. He would bring them back to the land and prosper them if they would turn. One day, that would happen. They will return and not need to rebuild the Ark of the Covenant to hold his presence. Jerusalem will be known as God’s Throne. God wanted nothing more than to be called their Father and to treat them as his children but they became faithless and left him. Their kings, officials, priests and prophets are going to be afraid and appalled when they see the destroyer from the north come to their land. The people had been deceived by thinking there would always be peace in Jerusalem but cause God was bringing a sword. The destruction that was coming was a sure thing but if they repented, they personally would be saved and live through it. Paul did not start the church in Colosse; it was probably started by Epaphrus. Paul wrote to the Colossians to counteract the false teaching of the Jews. They mixed up Christianity with teachings of the east about angel-worship and the world of spirits and a deeper purity and intelligence than the simplicity of the Gospel gives. They mixed this with Greek mythology and come us with a different gospel. Paul prays that they would ask God to give them complete knowledge of his will and given them his spiritual wisdom and understanding. God created everything in the heavenly realm and on earth. He made all the heavenly thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the heavenly realm. He is the one who holds the universe together not some Greek god. We see that doctrine preached through the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and all the superpower movies of today. These movies are not just meant for our entertainment, they are preaching their false doctrine. They are preparing the world for trans-humanism. People get bored with the simplicity of the gospel of Christ and want something more grandstand but there is nothing greater than what Christ is about to do on the earth. Lord, may we never get bored by the simple teachings of the Bible because they are power and only in God do we experience true power and love. We anticipate your move on the earth.

Mon.’s Devo - Jeremiah’s Visions

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-2:30; Philippians 4:1-23: Psalm 75:1-10; Proverbs 24:17-20 Jeremiah was just an ordinary priest who came from Anathoth’s line who had been disposed during Solomon’s time. Anathoth was from Eli’s line who God cursed. Jeremiah was a picture of how God chooses the base and lowly to put his Spirit in and use for his glory. Jeremiah was called as a young priest and felt he was unworthy because of his age but God made it clear that He had made Jeremiah and he was not to think of himself as too young. God would put his words in his mouth and he would be with him to help him deliver them. His words would pull down nations and destroy them and build nations and plant them. God gave Jeremiah the vision of a rod of an almond tree. That was a picture of the rod of Aaron. God had caused Aaron’s rod to bloom and produce almonds over night to prove that God had called Aaron to be the high priest. This was Jeremiahs reminder that he also was chosen by God. Next, he saw a vision of a seething pot facing the north. God told him that it was evil that would come from the north. It would come against Jerusalem and the city of Judah. It would come because of the wickedness of his people. They had burned incense to other gods and worshipped the things they made with their own hands. They would fight his people but Jeremiah would not be taken. God sent Jeremiah to remind the people of when they worshipped him in the wilderness. He asked them what their offense was against him. God had done nothing but help them. He brought them into their promised land that was a good land, but they defiled the land. The priests didn’t know God or teach the people his law. The prophets prophesied by Baal. He was pleading with them to turn back to the Lord and listen to him. They had exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols which was a shock to the creatures in heaven. Now they would become slaves once again by their own choosing. They had tried making alliances with Egypt but it didn’t do them any good. It was God that had broken them out of the slavery of Egypt and now they wanted to go back. Some of the people argued that they hadn’t worshipped Baal but God told them to look at their country. It was covered with idols and the people ran after foreign gods. God told them they were like a thief who is sorry only when it gets caught. They chiseled gods from wood and called it their father and chiseled gods from stone and called it their mother. God had sent them prophets to tell them the error of their way but they killed them. In Philippians, Paul appealed to one of the leaders to meet with two of the women in the church, Euodia and Syntyche. They must have been deaconesses who Paul thought a lot of who had a disagreement. Paul gave them lots of advise to live on. He told them to rejoice always and not to worry about anything but to pray about what concerns them. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will have his peace to guard your hearts and minds. Remembering what God has done in the past builds up your faith to believe him for what you need. Peace also comes when you fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, right and pure, lovely and worthy of praise. Paul was their example. He rejoiced when he had nothing and when he had everything he needed. He learned that he could do anything through Christ. Paul commended the church in Philippi because they had been the first church to support him financially and he was grateful to them. He wanted them to know that they would be rewarded for their kindness. The God who had supplied all his needs would do the same for them. He ended his letter praying for the grace of God to be with their spirit. Lord, may we walk in your spirit being always thankful and joyful.

Sun.’s Devo - To Know Christ

Read: Isiah 66:1-24 Philippians 3:5-21; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 24:15-16 God declares that his throne is all of heaven and earth is his footstool so how can man build a more wonderful temple. I wonder if he didn’t say that because he knew that man’s Temple would be torn down three times. God blesses those who have humble and contrite hearts and tremble at his Word but he hates those who do their own thing. He doesn’t accept their sacrifices or acts of worship. They deliberately sin and choose to do what they know He hates. The people who choose to worship the Lord are always despised by those who don’t. They don’t realize that it is them who will be put to shame. God will take vengeance against them from his Temple. In one moment of time, Jesus was born and a nation was birthed. In another moment of time, the people of Jerusalem became an official nation in 1948. Herod could not kill Jesus and the governments couldn’t stop Israel from becoming a nation. I have watched Israel become a prosperous nation in my lifetime. When it is time for the new heaven and the new earth, the old one will be destroyed by fire. It was destroyed in the time of Noah by water, but it will be destroyed the last time with fire. It was prophesied that John the Baptist came to baptize with water but Jesus was coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. It will be both spiritual and physical. Before it is destroyed, the gospel will go out to all nations and many will return to the Lord. Physically, many will return to Jerusalem to live. This new kingdom will be forever and the judgment of the wicked will be an eternal judgment. Paul was by man’s standard the most self-righteous person on the earth. He was born a Jew, raised a Pharisee and obeyed the law and yet when he met Jesus he realized that all his efforts were nothing. He no longer depended on his own righteousness of obeying the law but rather he became righteous through faith. Paul’s goal was to know Christ and experience his power. Paul made it clear that he hadn’t achieved this yet but he was pressing on to possess the perfection that Christ possessed for us all. He did this by forgetting his past mistakes and always looking forward to his future. One day, our weak mortal bodies will be changed into glorious bodies like Christ and his power will bring everything under his control. Lord, thank you for your promises that are faithful and true. We want to know You and experience your power in our lives. Thank you for making that possible.

Sat.’s Devo - Rejoice in the Lord

Read: Isaiah 62:6-65:25; Philippians 2:19-3:4; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 24:13-14 God always has intercessors that pray for the restoration of Jerusalem. They will not stop till the work is completed. One of these men was John the Baptist whose mission was to prepare the road for the Messiah to walk. He was to call the people to repentance so their hearts would be ready to receive the message of Christ. The prophets always use the deliverance from Egypt through the parted Red Sea as their point of reference because it was the picture of God’s deliverance of his people from bondage. The lambs they killed and smeared blood on their doorposts were a picture of them applying the blood of Christ to their lives. Their passage through the Red Sea was their baptism and their coming up on the other side was the picture of a new creature. As Isaiah cries out to the Lord for help it, he is blaming the Lord for giving them stubborn hearts that don’t fear him. Actually, God did give them stubborn hearts because they refused to turn to him. Isaiah wishes that God would do something so obvious that the people would have to believe it like burst from the heavens and come down. That would make the people tremble in fear. Isaiah feels overwhelmed over the weight of their sins. Jerusalem has burned down and all the beauty of their land has been destroyed. God responded to Isaiah and reminded them that he had waited for them to ask for help and no one did. The people spurned his love and refused to turn. They did everything them could to insult the Lord and disgust him. So God has to judge their deeds. He promised that he would not destroy them all because there are a few of them that remained faithful to him. He would restore those who trusted in Him. God will create a new heaven and a new earth and Jerusalem will be a place of happiness and joy. Death will no longer be a curse to take people before they live out their lives. People will live long lives like the trees and enjoy the fruit of their labor. The curse will remain on the serpent who will ‘eat dust’. In Philippians, Paul was hoping to send Timothy to them to bring back some good news. Paul also was sending Epaphroditus to stay and help. He had been sick and the church in Philadelphia had been very worried about him. Paul wanted them to see what their prayers had done. Paul reminded them to rejoice in the Lord and to watch out for the false teachers who told them they need to be circumcised. Paul told them to rely on what Christ Jesus has done for them and to put no confidence on what they can do to earn their own righteousness. This doctrine is permeating the church today. It is preached today that we have to sin and that we need to change our lives so that God will be pleased with us. That doctrine crucifies Christ over and over. We have all sinned but when we become saved, all our sins are gone. We are new creatures with God’s heart so we can do the things Jesus did. In our own strength this is not possible but through God all things are possible. We rely on the Holy Spirit and allow him to clean up our lives. That is no longer our job. We set our eyes on Jesus and just walk looking at him as the author and finisher of our faith. We have plenty of things to do without having to think about every jot and tittle of our actions. We work on our hearts. When we know we have messed up, we ask for forgiveness and keep going. Our sins have already been nailed to the cross. It is truly a walk in the Spirit, by faith. Lord, thank you for what you have done for us. It is our privilege to give your our lives as a living sacrifice. May your Kingdom come!